South Rowan High School principal suspended with pay during investigation

CHINA GROVE, N.C. - A local high school principal is off the job for now.

Rowan-Salisbury Schools suspended South Rowan High principal Don Knox with pay while it investigates.

The school district won't say why it suspended Knox, which is typical with personnel matters. But one parent thinks he has an idea. He asked not to talk about it on camera, but said his son, who graduated from South Rowan recently, was valedictorian and an Eagle Scout, accused Knox of grabbing him in a school hallway and lifting him almost off his feet.

The father told me deputies investigated, but never found proof and dropped the case. So he thinks the school district may be picking up where detectives left off.

Back at the school, parents heard about the case and seemed surprised. "Hoppy" Hopkins said, "Seems like a good guy to me. I mean, I've had very little dealings with him." Joe Mason said, "I've never seen him lose his cool. He's always been good to me and my family and I like Dr. Knox. He's a good man."

In the meantime, the school district gave WSOC a statement, saying it's "conducting a thorough investigation into the facts pertaining to the cause of the suspension and hopes to resolve this matter as soon as possible."